


Alpha

by Skarma



Series: Juggernaut [1]
Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe, Blood and Violence, Captivity, Character Death, Cults, Demons, Drowning, End of the World, Hate, Hurt Peter, Hurt/Comfort, Immortality, Kidnapping, M/M, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Peter Needs a Hug, Protective Wade, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Abuse, Smut, Stockholm Syndrome, Torture, breakdowns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2018-10-23 14:38:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10721307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skarma/pseuds/Skarma
Summary: Wade Wilson was born into a ritualistic cult 20 years ago and knows next to nothing of the outside world. He is a trained mercenary, and follows orders without question. Everything he knows is turned upside when he is ordered to kidnap a 16 year old boy by the leaders of the cult. It is nearly the time known as 'the coming', or the predicted end of the world. The leaders intend to summon a demon from the underworld to inhabit the boys body and protect them all from the end of days. Slowly, protective feeling begin to blossom within Wade, and he begins to question the legitimacy of his entire life.





	1. A Black Minute

**Author's Note:**

> This story is loosely based off of my original interpretation of Peripherys albums in Juggernaut (Alpha and Omega). If you havent listened to the album yet, I highly recommend it! This is one of the deepest albums I feel I have listened to in a long time. I will post a link to one of the best meanings of the album I have found at the end of this chapter.

Wade released a loud huff of air, crossing his arms and leaning back against the damp wall of the church. It was a chilly autumn night, and the moon cast a dim glow over the naked trees and dead leaves in the church ground. Another scream pierced the otherwise quiet night, followed by muffled chanting from within the church. Wade spared a quick glance down at his watch and sighed, pulling his sleeve down to cover the glowing screen and crossing his arms against the chill of the night. It had been just over four hours now since the woman inside had gone into labor. Wade knew if she didn't have the baby within the next hours, the impatient priests would forcibly remove it from her body. The mercenary could only hope that this baby would be the one that the priests were searching for. Days before the coming were limited now, and this child would be the last one to be born before the end of days was upon them. If this child was not the one that the priests were awaiting, Wade knew they would go to the outside to find someone. 

Another scream sounded from within in the building, this time accompanied by a muted wail. Several minutes of snuffling baby cries sounded before Wade heard the unmistakable groan of the old wooden church door being pushed open. He dropped his arms quickly, pushing himself from the church wall and taking three large strides to stand in front of the head priest. The cold man stared down from the church steps, examining Wade for several moments before gesturing his head for Wade to come closer. 

'The child does not posses the correct energy. Take him to the womens hall.' The high priest spat, standing to the side to allow Wade to pass. The merc nodded, jogging up the steps and navigating down the dark hall. He stopped in front of a closed door that had light spilling out from underneath the crack, and he rapped his knuckles against the warping wood twice. He heard muffled voices and shuffling before the door cracked open just enough for the wrapped baby that was thrust out into he arms. He took the baby silently, holding the small body close to his chest and talking large strides back down the hall and out the open door into the cold night. The crisp air shocked the infant, and he sucked in a huge gulp of air before releasing a shrill scream that had Wade wincing. He shushed the baby, huddling him closer and quickening his pace. He felt almost bad for the kid. Everyone knew it wasn't the woman's fault that she birthed the wrong kid, but the priests were getting frantic, and the woman would undoubtedly bear the brunt of their anger and frustration for birthing this useless child. 

The baby continued unleashing his piercing wails onto the still night, probably hungry and searching for his mothers warmth. Wade sighed in relief as the women's quarters came into view through the dense trees. He dropped the infant off with the priestess awaiting him at the door and turned on his heel, heading into the darker part of the woods to his small cabin. He was thankfully done with guard duty for the night, and could get a few hours of sleep before he knew the High Priest would begin searching in the outside. Wade wasn't sure how the Priests knew what the energy they were looking for was, or how to recognize it when they found it, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he would be called upon to bring some unsuspecting soul into their compound. The merc grunted as he bent down to pull his boots off, throwing them down by the door and kicking it closed with his bare foot. He shuffled down to his room, flopping onto his bed fully dressed and throwing an arm over his eyes, determined to get as much sleep as possible

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Wade awoke to loud rapping on his door, the knocks echoing hollowly around his empty room. He groaned, rolling onto his back and pushing himself upright. The knocks came again and he cleared his throat gruffly, pushing himself off of the bed.

"One minute" he grumbled, peeling off his worn shirt and digging into his drawer for a fresh one. He pulled the new shirt on over his head as he walked down the hall, squinting against the early morning sun beginning to peek through the blinds on his door. He could just barely make out the broad shoulders and white hair of the man standing on his porch against the light as he pulled the door open.

"Cable" he greeted, gesturing the marksman to enter his home. The man grunted, wiping off his boots and stepping past Wade into the bare kitchen. 

"Coffee?" Wade questioned, closing the door behind the man and shuffling to his coffee maker, flipping the switch on without waiting for a response.

"No time today, Pool. The Priests have a job for you." the man grunted, pulling out a chair and sitting down heavily. Wade turned towards him, leaning back against his counter and crossing his arms.

"An outside job?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows. The marksman grunted, turning his good eye up to Wade and frowning

"They found him. You know, 'the one'. They want us to bring him in." He responded finally. Wade nodded, turning and pouring two cups of coffee. He flicked the machine off before grabbing the steaming cups, dropping one down in front of the white haired man before taking a seat across from him.

"What do you know so far?" he asked, taking a sip of the scalding coffee and wincing as it burned its way down his throat. Cable shrugged, taking a huge gulp of coffee and slamming the mug back onto the table.

"Seems the kid was exposed to some kind of radiation or something, more than a normal person would be able to survive. Priest said he's be the perfect host. He's 16 though, so we have to cut his ties to the outside good and clear." 

"Sixteen? Jesus. What kind of ties we talking about, must have a good sized family" Wade asked, frowning slightly at the implications. Cable shook his head, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on his hands.

"Just an aunt and an uncle. Parents seem to be dead, or not in the picture." 

"When are we leaving" Wade asked, scooting back from the table and dumping the rest of his coffee in the sink

"Soon as possible, it's about a two hour drive into the city" Cable responded, standing up and thrusting his empty mug into Wades Hands. "I'll pick you up out front" He grunted, pulling open the kitchen door without waiting for a reply. Wade sighed, tossing the mug into the sink and heading to his bathroom to get ready.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Peter, you're going to be late" Peter sighed, grabbing his backpack and haphazardly tossing his notebooks and camera inside as quickly as he could. He straightened up, glancing around his room to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything.

"Peter!" 

"I'm coming Aunt May!" Peter yelled through the closed door, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and grabbing his skateboard from under a pile of dirty clothes. He ran downstairs, grabbing some toast off of a waiting plate on the kitchen island and kissing his Aunt on the cheek.

"Have a good day, sweetie, don't forget to pick me up at the hospital tonight!" she reminded, thrusting a bagged lunch at Peter and smiling. He nodded, mouth full of toast, and balanced the bag in the crook of his elbow.

"See you tonight" he called from the front door, dropping his skateboard down in front of him and stepping on. He was most definitely going to be late to first period, but at least he wouldn't have to deal with Flash and his gang of jock losers in the hallway before class. He leaned sideways slightly, allowing his muscles to do a majority of his navigating as he contemplated ways to avoid the muscly blonde. All to soon, his school was coming into view and he had to hop off of his skateboard, swinging it over his head to fit snugly in his backpack. The brunette took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever possibility waited for him behind the glass doors. 

For once, it appeared luck was on Peters side. The late bell for first period had already rung, and the halls were empty save for a few stragglers rushing to get to their classes on time. Peter smiled slightly, dropping his backpack down by his feet as he began to spin the dials on his locker near the doors. It wasn't often that he was able to avoid Flash and his gang of idiots. Peters typical morning consisted of his backpack being snatched from him by some goon while Flash taunted him and passing students laughed and refused to meet his eyes. Thankfully, this was Peter's last semester at this godforsaken school. He had skipped fifth and sixth grade when he was younger, and so next year he would be enrolling full time in the local community college. Peter quickly grabbed the books he needed from his locker, tossing his skateboard and lunch inside before slamming the metal door shut. 

Several hours later and the end of the school day, Peter found himself holed up in a corner of the library, his camera plugged into one of the ancient computers. He tapped his fingers absently, letting out a huff of air as he waited impatiently for his photos to upload. Deadline for the yearbook photos were coming up, and he needed to have his submissions turned in by the end of the week. Slowly but surely, pictures taken from various events throughout the school year began to pop up. Peter clicked through several of the photos before settling on one, a picture of a girl with big blue eyes and a massive smile. A strand of blonde hair dangled in front of her eyes as she held up an award from Oscorp Industries for her science fair project, a project that landed her a summer internship in the biomedical department of the huge corporation. Carefully, Peter began editing the photo, being careful to preserve the happy glint in the girls eyes. He nearly jumped out of his seat when a voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Is that me?" a gentle voice asked as someone pulled out the chair next to Peter, a white and pink bookbag being slung next to his computer on the scuffed up wooden table. He glanced up at the blonde as she slid into a chair next to him, smiling shyly. 

"Yeah...I was editing them for the yearbook...I thought this was a good one for the science fair page..." He trailed off nervously, eyes roaming everywhere but the blondes face. She huffed a laugh, punching Peter lightly in the arm.

"I'm messing with you, Pete. I was wondering if you could look over my research proposal for my internship. I really want to head my own team...I'm nervous I'm not qualified enough'" She stopped, chewing on her bottom lip and scrunching up her nose "Please?"

"Uhm...yeah..yeah sure" Peter responded, a crooked smile covering his face as Gwen broke out her mega watt smile, leaning forward and giving him a big hug before diving into her backpack and pulling out a huge binder.

"Yes yes yes thank you so much Peter! Okay so first, There was this problem where-" Peter listened intently, a small smile playing over his features as he watched Gwen flip through the binder frantically, explaining every little detail and idea that came across her mind. About an hour in, Peters phone began buzzing on the table. Gwen paused, in the middle of trying to work out a particularly complex problem.

"Do you need to get that?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him. He looked down, pressing the end button on his phone and set it to silent before setting it back down on the table.

"Nope, just my aunt. Probably wanting to tell me dinner is ready or something" He flushed, reaching over and adding a negative sign to her problem "There, try it now" he said, directing her attention back to her paper. Gwen chewed on her lip as her nose scrunched up in concentration, her pencil scratching across the paper at high speed. She worked silently for several minutes before her eyebrows shot up, her face breaking out into another Gwen-grade mega watt smile.

"Peter Parker, you are a genius! If I get this position I am definitely putting a word in so you can be on my team!" she grinned, holding up the solved problem. He flushed at the praise, raising his hand to scratch nervously at the back of his head. They worked tirelessly for almost another hour before Gwen excused herself, stating that she had to get back before it was completely dark outside or else her mom would go crazy with worry. Peter big her goodnight, cleaning up his papers and unplugging his computer. He was just about to head out the door, slinging on his backpack, when he noticed the multitude of missed phone calls lighting up his phone screen. He gulped, eyes going wide as he remembered his promise to pick up his Aunt May from work this morning. He quickly ran out the front door of the library, jumping onto his skateboard and pushing off hard. He held his phone up to his ear, pressing play on the first message.

"Peter" came Aunt Mays voice. She sounded like her usual cheerful self. "I just wanted to remind you to pick me up today, I'll see you in a little bit", the message ended, and peter frowned as the next one began to play.

"Peter where are you? I've called at least five times now, my shift ended almost an hour ago" Aunt May sounded tired and upset, her voice strained as she tried not to yell. The next message came from a very annoyed Uncle Ben

"Peter, we are going to have a talk when you get home tonight. This is the third time this month you've forgotten your Aunt and I have had to leave work early to pick her up. I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just do whatever you want and think that there won't be any consequences for your actions." Peter sighed, deleting the message in the middle of the recorded rant. He really had it coming this time, he knew. He had simply let the time get away from him again, but he knew his Uncle wouldn't take it so lightly. With a heavy sigh, Peter hit the call back button so he could let his Uncle knew he was on his way.

"Hello?" Peter frowned at the unfamiliar voice that sounded from his Uncles cell phone.

"Uh...h-hello?" He stuttered, his board rolling to a halt. There was the sound of shuffling on the other end before the voice came back.

"Are you related to Benjamin and May Parker?" the voice asked, tone clipped but formal. Peter nodded frantically, eyes wide and breath short before he realized that the person on the other line couldn't see him shaking his head.

"Uhm yes..y-yes they're my aunt and uncle" he whispered, clutching his phone so hard his fingers turned white. 

"Sir. I'm sorry to inform you that there's been an accident involving your aunt and uncle. Why don't you come on down to the station and we can talk more?" The man responded, his tone revealing none of the emotions Peter needed to hear right now.

"A-accident...what kind of accident? Are they going to be okay?" Peter stammered, eyes ghosting over with tears. 

"It would really be best if we talked in person son. Do you need directions?" the man replied. Peter sniffed, wiping at his eyes with the back of his sleeve.

"Uh no. n-no, I know how to get there" he responded, fighting to keep his voice steady.

"Alright son, I'll be waiting at the front desk for you" came the mans reply before the line went dead. Peter held the silent phone up to his ear for several moments before his arm slowly began to lower to his side. He felt numb. He slowly began to walk back the way he came, his skateboard was left forgotten in the middle of the dark sidewalk. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"That the kid?" Wade asked, eyeing the lanky brunette who came scrambling out from the house across the street. Cable grunted a reply, snatching the binoculars from Wade's hands.

"Yeah that's him" he responded, tossing the binoculars aside and standing up, stretching his arms up over his head. 

"I'll take care of the Aunt and Uncle. Be waiting tonight when the kid is done with school, and make sure he's good and out. Don't want him having any idea where we're taking him, too easy to escape." Cable instructed, waving Wade off to follow the boy.

"Go scout the area out that way. I'll send him towards the Police Department tonight. Make sure you're ready." Wade nodded, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He gave Cable a wave as they parted ways. It didn't take long for Wade to catch up to the kid, even though he was on a skateboard. Enhanced abilities or whatever it was the Priests had claimed to have given him, he supposed. He watched from a distance as the kid scarfed down dry toast, seeming to glide along easily. It didn't seem as if the kid even noticed the other people around him, almost like his board was avoiding the passerby on its own. Wade wondered what in the world could have the kid so preoccupied this early in the morning. Another minute and the kid was kicking up his board, stuffing it into his backpack as he jogged up the steps to a building with huge glass front doors. Wade came to a stop, glancing around for a good place to spend the day monitoring the door. He grabbed a newspaper from a nearby bin and took up a seat at the bus stop directly across the street from the doors. 

Wade had read through the newspaper at least a hundred times, had gone to get a sandwich, and had taken a short nap when he heard the door slam open across the street. He squinted against the setting darkness, and could just barely make out the skateboard that was dropped down to the ground and the person who jumped on top of it. His cell phone gave a sudden shrill ring, and Wade grunted, reaching down and pulling the phone out of his pocket before flipping the top open with his chin and holding it up to his ear, his eyes never leaving the figure until it disappeared into the distance.

"Wilson" he greeted, waiting for the other person to identify themselves. 

"It's done, the kid should be heading your way in a minute." The other line disconnected quickly, and Wade stuffed his newspaper into a nearby garbage can, standing up and stretching out his arms. He picked up his bag and pocketed his cell phone, glancing behind him as he headed towards the alley way the connected the road that the school was on with the road where the Police Department was located. He could just barely see a figure slowly making it's way towards where he was. He sighed, crouching down behind a dumpster and unbuckling his bag. He removed a small white cloth and a brown glass bottle, silently and meticulously unscrewing the bottle. He held the cloth up, making sure to douse it in a healthy dose of liquid from the bottle before screwing the cap back on and placing it carefully back into his bag. He sat back on his heels, holding his breath as he strained his ears. He could make out footsteps coming closer now, and he willed his heartbeat to slow down, taking slow and calculated breaths. 

The footsteps were louder now, and there was a slight scuff before a small rock came rolling towards where Wade was sitting, hitting the side of the dumpster with a quiet 'ping' before rocking to a halt. Wade waited, watching as a shadow appeared and grew slightly taller. The figure passed him, shoulders slumped inwards and head hung low. He waited until the boy was past him before standing. He took two large strides and then his arms were around the boy, one holding his arms down and securing the small body to his chest while the other arm held the cloth of chloroform securely over the boys mouth and nose. The body in his arms whimpered, giving several pathetic jerks before slumping in Wade's arms. He waited another few seconds to be sure the kid was out before lowering the body gently to the pavement. He stuffed the used rag into his backpack ad pulled out his phone, sending a quick text to Cable with his location. He waited in silence, eyeing the limp body next to him. It didn't take long before he heard the sound of an engine running, followed by several quick honks. He reached down, securing his grip on the small body and hoisting it up into his arms. He stepped to the edge of the alleyway, checking left and right before determining that nobody was out. He took quick steps to the car, loading the body into the backseat before crawling in after him and slamming the door.


	2. MK Ultra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your kind reviews, and for reading this far! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Again- this story is based off of my interpretation of Periphery's 'Juggernaut', which include the albums Alpha and Omega. This band is seriously underrated and these albums are absolutely amazing, I strongly encourage you to give them a listen, they tell a fantastic story!
> 
> Enjoy!

Peter woke up with a groan, scrunching his eyes and coughing slightly. He raised his arm, wiping away some dampness from his cheeks before opening his eyes. It took several seconds of surveying the fuzzy, unfamiliar ceiling above him before Peter shot up, eyes wide and darting around the room frantically. He took in the fuzzy image of the old wooden floors and walls with panic, jumping up and running over to the only door in the room. He reached out a shaking hand and pulled at the thick iron handle. The door didn’t budge even an inch. Peter sighed, releasing the handle and stepping back. Aside from the door, there was one window in the room, and It was barred over. He walked over to the glass pane window, giving the bars a solid shake. They wiggled slightly before settling back and Peter sighed, leaning his forehead against the glass and surveying the ground outside.

The ground looked to be about six feet down below the window, so first story with a crawl space underneath, Peter guessed. He frowned as he took in the rest of the scenery. What looked like naked trees and shrubs lay out as far as he could see, slowly turning into a thick blackness that he assumed was forest. Peter frowned as he took everything in. He wasn't sure where he was, but he was guessing that he was miles away from Forest Hills, New York. He let out a harsh sigh, banging his forehead against the window as he racked his brain for any possible means of escaping. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost missed the small girl walking by outside his window. 

"Hey! Hey, help!" Peter yelled, slapping his palms against the window. The girl didn't even pause in her walking, her long dress flapping against her legs in the wind outside. Peter continued banging on the window long after she had disappeared. After several minutes passed Peter gave the window one more solid bang before sliding down to sit cross legged. He sat with his eyes closed for several minutes, letting his head fall back to rest against the wall. After some time had passed, Peter cracked open his eyes, scanning the scarce furnishings of the locked room. There was a full sized mattress pushed into one corner, covered in an old quilt that was tearing slightly at some of the seams. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a lamp set on top. Peter got up shakily, taking a deep breath to try to calm his nerves, and walked over to the nightstand to look for his glasses. He reached out slowly, pulling open the one drawer the nightstand contained and peered inside. He sighed, slamming the empty drawer shut in frustration and turning back to continue scanning the room. Across from the bed, near the barred over window was a skinny table with a basin on top of it. Peter ventured closer and saw faucet coming out of the wall behind the basin. He turned the faucet and sighed in relief as cool, clear water began to flow into the bin below. At least he wouldn't die from dehydration.

Peter went back over to the window, leaning close to inspect the bolts that held the bars to the wall. He tried pulling on a few, but each one refused to budge. He looked back outside, squinting as he tried to survey his surroundings better. He was so focused on the blurry scenery outside the window that he didn't hear the soft footsteps coming down the hall towards his room. There was the quiet scraping of a key turning in the lock and then the door to Peters room was swung open. The brunette let out a squeak, turning and pressing his back to the wall. A tall figure took up the entirety of the doorway. Peter swallowed, eyes frantically darting up and down the figures form in an attempt to see who it was. The figure took a step forward and Peter stumbled sideways, eyes so transfixed to the figure that he stumbled, tripping over the edge of a rug and slamming his head into the wall behind him. The figure cursed and Peter sucked in a breath, scrabbling backwards until his back was pressed against the wall. The figure crossed the room quickly and reached out a hand towards Peter, who slammed his eyes shut and held his hands up in fear. His face was taken in gentle hands and he felt his hair pushed back from his forehead gently. He cracked an eye open, looking up into the fuzzy blue eyes that stared down at him. He glanced nervously between the two eyes for several minutes, dazed from hitting his head, before he realized that the figure was speaking to him.

"Kid? Hey kid...are you okay?" Peter shivered, attempting to back away even further into the wall, but the figure held his head steady, hands now roaming the back of his head to search for injuries.

"Hello? Can you hear what I'm saying" the man asked again, and Peter nodded quickly, swallowing nervously. The figure let out a sigh of relief, letting go of Peters head before reaching down to take his arm. Peter squeaked in fear, trying to pull his arm free, but the figure was strong, much much stronger than he was. He found himself being hauled to his feet, but before he could truly panic he was released. 

"Good god, you scared the shit out of me, kid. Thought you knocked your brain loose. Didn't you see the rug there?" the figure asked. Peter gulped, shaking his head and looking at the floor. He could just barely make out the patch near his foot that was a slight different color than the wood floors.

"Glasses..." he whispered, refusing to meet the figures eyes. He flinched slightly as the figure moved towards him before sighing in relief as he felt his glasses being slid back onto his nose. He glanced up, taking in the other man in detail for the first time. He was tall, around 6'2", with impossibly blue eyes and a sharp jawline. Peter put his arms around himself, painfully aware of how huge and muscled the man was compared to himself. The man smiled gently, his eyes crinkling slightly around the edges.

"Is that better?" he asked. Peter nodded slightly, fidgeting with the material of his shirt sleeve. 

"Well...I'm Wade. I'm sure you're wondering where you are." The man asked, turning his back to Peter and looking out the window. The sky was starting to get dark now, and Peter frowned, wondering how long it had been since he had been gone from home. The man cleared his throat, turning towards Peter and gesturing outside. "This is the compound. We're in my house right now. Through those trees over there-" Wade gestured to the left and Peter crept closer, glancing to where the man was gesturing "Is the church. There are several houses between here and there but most people live-" Wade gestured in the opposite direction "several miles that way." Peter swallowed, unable to see anything but trees and more trees. He looked up tentatively at the man next to him.

"Why...am I here?" He asked. The man looked down at him and he sucked in a breath of air, arms going back to wrap around himself protectively. The man pushed back from the window, striding past Peter and sitting heavily on the bed pushed into the corner. He patted the mattress next to him, looking up at Peter expectantly. The boy frowned, chewing his lip nervously before dropping his arm, walking over to sit next to the man. 

"Do you know about the coming?" the man asked, looking over at Peter. He shook his head slowly, eyeing the man nervously. Wade nodded, giving Peter a small smile.

"It's a prophecy of ours, made by an elder priest many years ago. It is...an end of the world, of sorts. The great being will reclaim this world for the gods, and there will be little need for men like us. The elder priest prophesied that there would be a single salvation for us. There would be someone with a certain energy, one I guess the priests have determined that you possess, who will be able to contain an ancient power within them that will save us all." Wade finished, his smile becoming wider. Peter opened his mouth, but no words came out. 

"I know it's a lot to take in. I'm sorry kid, I wish the person had been born to one of us, but that just didn't happen. It's not so bad here though, the priests have decided that you're to stay here with me until they're ready for you." He offered Peter another lopsided grin.

"What are they going to do to me?" Peter asked hesitantly, wide eyes fixed on the man next to him. Wade shrugged, pursing his lips in thought.

"I don't really know how the ritual works, but I wouldn't worry about anything. You're of high importance around here, I'm to make sure no harm comes to you." The man next to Peter spoke nonchalantly, as if Peter hadn't just been kidnapped and locked in a room in the middle of the forest. Peter lowered his eyes to the floor, scanning in the faded rug that he was now able to see and taking in everything that had happened. The room was silent for several minute before Peter gasped, shooting to his feet.

"My Aunt and Uncle...There was an accident! I- I was going to the police station and...are they okay?" he asked, eyes wide and frantic. Wade frowned, standing up slowly from the bed.

"I'm not sure kid." He finally answered, giving Peter a small shrug. "Are you hungry? I'm making tacos" Wade turned away from Peter to exit the room, gesturing for the boy to follow him down the hall. Peter trailed behind slowly, barely listening to the man ramble about cooking as he took in the new surroundings frantically. The hall was dark with more wood floors and peeling wallpaper. There were doors on either side of the walls, another bedroom and maybe a bathroom, Peter guessed. He followed Wade to the end of the hall and into a brightly lit kitchen. Wade gestured for Peter to sit at the round wooden table, and the boy did so, eyeing the kitchen door as Wade dug through some cabinets, placing ingredients for the dinner on the counter. The man was still talking incessantly, and Peter made small sounds of acknowledgement every once in awhile, taking in the rest of the kitchen. There was a desk built into some cabinets on the wall beside the door. The table that Peter was currently seated at was pushed up near a wall on one side, and Peter had a clear view of both Wade and the door. The kitchen was plain, peeling white cabinets lined the wallpapered walls, and a small window was placed over the farm basin sink. 

A loud bang had Peter focusing his attention back on Wade. The man had just set a pan on the stove. Peter watched as the man turned on the burner. He was talking about some time that he had gone out hunting with a friend, Peter hummed slightly, watching warily as the man cut open a package of ground beef. He stood up as quietly as possible as he watched Wade pull off the plastic from the meat. As Wade dumped the meat into the pan, Peter darted around the table, using the harsh sizzle of the meat on oil to mask the sound of his feet. He ran to the door, flipping the lock and flinging the door open. Peter didn't spare a glance behind him as he darted out into the pitch black night, running blindly through the trees. He had gotten maybe a hundred feet before he felt a flaring pain in his foot. Peter cried out as he felt himself sprawl forward, his glasses flying off his nose. He closed his eyes against the inevitable pain before he felt a strong arm wrap around his stomach. He cried out wildly as he felt himself pulled backward. Panic set in and Peter began to thrash wildly against his captor, tears spilling down his face as he clawed at the strong arm securely wrapped around his torso. 

"Please" he choked out, wrapping his hands around the thick arm and pulling weakly "Please just let me go" he pleaded, voice heavy with fear. He felt his body get pulled flush against the man behind him.

"I'm sorry" Wade finally replied. "I know this must seem really scary" Peter felt himself being lowered to the ground, and he heaved a sigh of relief as he felt his feet touch the floor. He felt a slight throbbing on his right foot and he realized belatedly that he wasn't wearing any shoes. 

"Please come back with me. You'll never find your way out of here, there's hundreds of acres of forest around us kid." Wade placed his hand gently on the small of Peters back, giving him a light push back in the direction of the house. Peter sniffled, taking a step forward before hissing in pain as his right foot gave out. Wade instantly had his arm back around Peters stomach, supporting the smaller boy and keeping him from crumpling onto the forest floor.

"You're hurt" the man stated, and Peter could hear the frown in the mans voice even though he was unable to see it. He felt himself being lifted gently into strong arms and Peter sniffled again, allowing himself to be carried back to his captors house. His foot was throbbing horribly, and he wondered mildly if perhaps it was broken.

"My glasses..." He mentioned after a moment, and Wade paused, looking back behind him.

"I'm sorry kid, it's pitch dark out here. I'll come back and look for them in the morning." Peter nodded, letting his head rest tiredly against the broad shoulders of the man carrying him back. There were several minutes of silent walking before Peter could make out the dimly glowing outline of the house, and he squinted as he was carried back into the bright kitchen. He didn't smell any burnt meat, and he realized Wade must have taken the time to turn the stove off before chasing him outside. They walked through the kitchen and back into the hallway. Peter watched quietly as Wade stopped in front of one of the closed doors, nudging it open gently with his foot. Peter couldn't see anything in the blinding darkness, but he felt himself being lowered gently onto a cold, hard surface before the room was suddenly flooded with light. Peter squinted his eyes against the harsh light as he heard Wade opening a cabinet and start rustling around. They were in a bathroom, Peter realized, as he took in the shape of what must be a shower to his right. 

The figure of Wade appeared suddenly in front of him, and Peter flinched back, awaiting some form of punishment for attempting to escape. Wade instead reached out and took Peters foot gently, frowning as tears sprung to the boys eyes and he hissed out in pain.

"I think you must have fractured it somehow" Wade informed him, placing his foot back down gently and lifting what must have been bandages of some form. "I'm going to wrap it, but you won't be able to walk for awhile" Peter nodded, dropping his head back to rest against the bathroom mirror as his foot was bandaged gently. Wade stood back up as soon as he was done, wrapping his arms gingerly around Peters form and picking him back up.

"I'll take you back to your room to rest a bit. Are you still hungry?" Peter shook his head, keeping his eyes closed tightly as he allowed himself to be carried back to the room. He felt himself being placed lightly on the bed before Wade pulled his arms back.

"Well if you change your mind, or you need me for anything else, just call for me. I'm in the room right next door, and I'm a really light sleeper, okay?" Peter nodded, turning over so that his back was to the man. The room was quiet for a moment before he heard heavy footsteps and the gentle creak of his door being closed, followed by the unmistakable sound of a key being turned in the lock. Peter stared blankly at the darkness surrounding him as tears began to quietly leak down his face, dripping off of his cheeks onto the quickly dampening pillowcase. Whatever slim chance Peter had had of escaping had been quickly taken from him in an instant when he hurt his foot. He was stuck here, wherever that was, for the foreseeable future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me this far, please remember to drop a comment, they really really help me stay motivated to keep writing, and to update quicker. As always, please let me know if you see any grammatical/spelling or other errors with my writing and I will fix it.
> 
> Thanks!


	3. Heavy Heart

Peter awoke with a low groan, squeezing his eyes shut as pain flared through his right leg. He sat up slowly, reaching down to examine his foot. He gingerly examined the methodical bandaging and hissed in pain as he felt how swollen his foot was. Sighing, Peter turned his body, letting his legs swing down to hang off of the bed before scooting forward. He pushed himself up onto his uninjured foot, holding onto the bed frame as he attempted to place some weight on his injured foot. He had barely placed any pressure on the foot before an intense wave of pain pulsed up through his entire body, and he found himself crying out, pitching forward and landing in a small heap on the thing rug below him. Tears began streaming down the boys face as he clutched his foot, gritting his teeth against the pain. Several seconds later, Peter heard his door handle squeak before the door was thrown open and Wade was suddenly at his side. Gentle hands took his face, and Peter sobbed openly, pain and fear overtaking him, and he felt Wade pull him forward to his broad chest, rocking and shushing him gently. Peter allowed himself to continue sobbing as gentle hands ran through his hair. He cried until he had nothing left in him, and Wade continued to rock him until his cries had tapered down to quiet sniffles. 

"Let me help you up" Wade finally broke the silence, waiting until Peter nodded in acknowledgement before he stood slowly, his strong arms wrapping under Peter and lifting the boy gently before placing him back on the bed. Peter sat silently as gentle hands wiped the dried tears from his cheeks.

"I'm going to have to take you to the infirmary, kid. Your foot might be broken." Peter nodded, looking up at Wade slowly.

"Peter" he whispered, letting his eyes fall back to the floor. He saw Wade cock his head in question, and he looked back up, hoping he was making eye contact with the man that he couldn't fully see.

"My name. It's Peter" He repeated. Wade smiled, standing up from where he had been crouching near Peters knees.

"Peter then. I'm going to go find your glasses real quick, and then we'll head to the infirmary. And then breakfast!" Wade didn't wait for a response from Peter as he turned, and Peter sat quietly as he waited for the man to return. It wasn't long before he heard a door open and the sound of heavy boots making their way towards him. Peter felt his glasses being pushed back onto his nose, and his heart sank slightly at the fractured image of the man before him.

"Sorry Petey. Looks like they got kind of broken. I'll send in for a new pair when we go in to see the nurse, okay?" Peter nodded, trying to keep his focus on one of the images of Wade. He watched as the man looked out the window before looking back towards him. 

"Well, we better get going" Wade informed him, waiting for Peter to nod before leaning down to pick him back up. Wade filled the silence with idle chatter as he carried Peter back down the hall once more, into the kitchen and out into the open air. Peter surveyed the yard around him as well as he could, eyeing the treeline that he had run blindly into the night before. Wade chattered on about something or other as he walked around the side of the house and towards a clearing in the trees, where Peter suddenly noticed a truck was parked. He stayed quiet as Wade loaded him into the passenger seat, and watched as the man walked around to the drivers seat and pulled down the visor, where the keys tumbled down and onto the mans waiting lap. How much easier escaping would have been if he had known that this truck existed, Peter thought mildly to himself as Wade started the truck and pulled slowly out of the treeline and onto a barely visible path cut through the trees.

Peter tried to memorize the route Wade was taking through the trees, but it was nearly impossible to make out where the road was with his glasses being as broken as they were. It didn't take long, however, before the truck began to slow, and Wade pulled the vehicle to a gentle halt. Peter looked around and saw a long wooden building spread out to his left, and he gulped nervously as Wade came around the front of the truck to get him. He allowed the larger man to pick him up once again, and he looked around him warily as he was carried into the building. They entered into what seemed to be a waiting area. Peter could just barely make out the chairs lined up against the wall near the door as Wade carried him past them and up to a an opening in a wall opposite the door. 

"I need to see a nurse" Wade stated loudly, and Peter squinted around curiously. He saw movement in front of him before a clipped voice responded. 

"What's the problem, sir?" A woman responded, and Peter thought he could see a blonde woman looking up at them from behind the opening. Wade shifted the weight of Peter in his arms, leaning them both slightly forward.

"The kid hurt his foot, we need to see someone. Now." Wade informed the woman. 

"One minute" Peter heard the woman stand and disappear through a door at her side. They stood silently for several minutes before a door to Wades right opened and the blonde woman appeared again.

"The healer can see you, sir." The woman held the door open wide as Wade carried Peter through. She led them silently back through a hall and into a small, brightly lit room.

"The healer will be with you shortly" the woman informed Wade curtly, closing the door as Peter was set down onto an awaiting examination table. He fidgeted uncomfortably, glancing around the sterile room as he fiddled with the hem of his sleeve. He had just turned his attention to a collection of gleaming surgical equipment when he heard the door reopen. 

"This is the salvation?" A woman asked as she entered the room, heading straight to a counter to pull on latex gloves. Wade stood, nodding.

"How did this injury happen?" The woman asked, dragging a stool over to where Peter was placed and taking a seat in front of him. she took his injured foot in her hand gently, unwrapping the bandages Wade had placed so carefully the night before. 

"He uh....tripped. On a rug in my house" Wade responded quickly. The woman, healer, Peter supposed, looked at Wade with a raised eyebrow. 

"Tripped on a rug, huh?" She asked, clearly not believing the man.

"I wasn't wearing my glasses" Peter supplied, eyeing Wade nervously. He sucked in a breath as the woman tightened her grip on his foot, pain flaring up at an alarming rate.

"Do not speak to me!" The woman demanded, allowing Peters foot to fall painfully against the metal table. Peter yelped, hands gripping against the table so tightly that his knuckles turned white as he bit his lip in an attempt to keep from crying at the pain. He felt a warm hand rub small circles into the small of his back as Wade stepped up to stand by his side. 

"Can you heal him. We need to be getting back" Wade asked, all pleasantry gone from his voice. The woman nodded, picking Peters foot back up, her hands noticeably less gentle than the first time she had handled the injured foot.

"It's dislocated as well as fractured, I will need to put it back into place" she informed Wade. Peter looked up at the man standing at his side, frowning slightly. He really wasn't looking forward to being put under any form of anesthesia. Being unaware in this foreign place seemed unappealing. Wade moved further behind Peter, and the boy tensed slightly as he felt the mans strong arms wrapping around his torso, pinning his own arms to his much smaller body. It took several seconds before Peters eyes widened, realizing there would be no anesthetic. The boy didn't have a chance to struggle as the healer nodded to Wade, who tensed his arms around Peter as she pushed upwards against his injured foot. Peter howled in pain, tears springing to his eyes as he thrashed wildly against Wades chest. The man held him tightly to his chest, his cheek resting against Peters ear as he shushed him gently. Tears streamed down Peters face as the healer backed away from him, grabbing some bandages before picking his foot back up to re-bandage it carefully. 

The healer finished up with Peters foot quickly, and Peter felt his glasses being removed as she was packing up her supplies.

"Do we have any replacements for these?" He heard Wade asked. The woman grabbed the glasses, leaving the exam room without responding to the mans question. Peter sniffled, leaning back against Wade, who was still holding him firmly to his chest. They sat quietly as they waited, and several minutes passed before the door swung open again and the woman handed Wade a pair of pristine glasses. Wade quickly replaced the lenses back onto Peters face, and he looked around gratefully. The woman had already left the room, and Peter glanced up at Wade. The man smiled down at him softly, wiping the leftover tears from his cheeks. 

"Let's head back" the man suggested, and Peter nodded numbly, waiting for the man to pick him back up. Wade scooped him up with ease, carrying him down the hall, through the waiting room and back outside. This time, Peter surveyed their surroundings as they made their way back to Wades house, determined to remember the route should he ever need it. Sometime along the way it started to rain, the water beading on the window in silvery crystals. Wade hummed a haunting tune as they picked their way slowly through the thick trees, and before Peter could really get a grasp on his surroundings, they were pulling back into the clearing on the side of Wades house. Peter opened the door for himself and held his arm out for Wade to carry him again. They made their way together inside and Wade set him carefully on a chair at the kitchen table.

"You must be starving by now" Wade observed, looking at Peter for confirmation. He nodded, looking up at Wade.

"Yeah...I could eat" he replied sheepishly, his cheeks reddening slightly. Wade gave him a gentle smile, turning to dig through the cabinet over the stove.

"Pancakes and eggs sound good?" He called over his shoulder. 

"Yeah" Peter replied, watching the man as he began to cook. He picked absently at the hem of his shirt sleeve and chewed on his lip, getting lost in thought as the man flitted back and forth across the kitchen. He was pulled out of his daydream when a plate was slapped down on the table in front of him. A huge pile of steaming pancakes awaited Peter on the plate, and he licked his lips, his stomach cramping in hunger. Wade held out a fork, and Peter snatched it, digging into the pancakes hungrily. He shoved pancakes into his mouth mercilessly, pausing as he heard the man chuckling. He looked up, his mouth full of pancake.

"You really must have been starving. Those were supposed to be for us to share" the man teased, taking a seat across from Peter. The brunette frowned, swallowing the huge bite of pancake quickly.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't even think, I-"

"It's okay Petey, I'm just messing with you." Wade laughed, scooping some eggs onto his plate and taking a bite, looking at Peter thoughtfully. Peter frowned questioningly, taking a normal sized bite of pancake. They ate the rest of their meal in silence, Peter finishing off the pancakes so quickly he instantly had a stomach ache. Wade grabbed both of their plates up once he was done and went to the sink to rinse them off. Peter watched him for a minute before looking down at his foot. He leaned down and rubbed at the tender skin of his calf, letting out a sharp hiss of pain. Boots came into his line of sight suddenly, startling Peter, who snapped his gaze up to meet Wades steely gaze.

"Are you in pain, baby boy?" The man asked, his gaze so intense Peter found he couldn't look away. He shifted uncomfortably at the nickname before nodding slightly. Wade frowned at his answer before holding out his hand, offering to help the boy up. Peter accepted hesitantly, allowing Wade to pull him to his feet before the man scooped him up once again, taking him out of the kitchen. Peter expected them to go back down the hall towards his room, but instead, Wade crossed the hall and took them into what Peter assumed was a living room. The man deposited him gently on a couch before turning and leaving Peter alone in the room. He looked around curiously, eyes widening in surprise at the modern flat screen that adorned the wall opposite of him. He had yet to notice any actual electronics of any kind, thus far, and was certainly not expecting to see a TV in Wades house. Not even a minute later, Wade returned, holding out a small pill and a cup of water to Peter. He eyed it hesitantly, alternating from looking at the pill and the cup of water. Wade sighed, taking a seat next to Peter on the couch.

"It's just a sedative for the pain" Wade informed him. Peter looked up at Wade, searching his gaze for a minute before nodding, reaching out with a trembling hand and taking the pill from the man. He popped it into his mouth before he could change his mind, taking the cup of water offered to him and washing the pill down. Wade took the cup from Peter quickly as his arms fell down to his sides and his eyelids got instantly heavy. He looked at Wade, alarm showing clearly in his hooded hazel eyes. Wade set the cup of water down, rubbing Peters calf soothingly.

"I'm sorry, I should've warned you how strong it is. You'll probably sleep for a few hours" Wade informed him. Peter opened his mouth to respond, but found himself unable to form words. He felt his head getting heavier and heavier, and soon found that he was no longer able to hold it up. He felt Wade lift his upper body, and realized the man was placing a pillow gently behind his head. He was gently lowered back down on the couch, and Wade draped a thin blanket over his lithe form before taking a seat down by his feet.

"Just relax, baby boy. I'll be right here when you wake back up" Peter hummed numbly, allowing his heavy eyelids to droop closed. He heard the TV turn on in the distance, the sound muffled by the sedative. He thought he could hear a heavy British accent narrating some animal or another. 

"Wade" Peter whispered, his eyes refusing to open to meet the mans cerulean stare.

"Yeah petey?" Wade replied

"Why was I not allowed to talk to that woman?" He mumbled sleepily. He thought he heard Wade shift slightly before the man took a deep breathe.

"Cuz you're not..from here." Wade finally replied. Peter hmm'd in responses, finally letting sleep overtake him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter awoke slowly, feeling groggy and unfocused. He opened his eyes blearily, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. He heard the sound of some documentary playing in the background, and could faintly smell the lingering scent of pancakes. For a minute, Peter almost felt that he was back in his Aunt and Uncles house, until a soft voice broke through his reverie.

"How are you feeling?" Blue eyes appeared in Peters line of sight as Wade crouched down in front of him. Peter cleared his throat, sitting up slightly.

"A lot better, actually. How long was I out?" he asked, looking up at Wade. The man smiled down at him gently

"About four hours. It's pretty late now" Wade replied, nodding absently towards the window. Peter looked towards the glass panes, and saw that night had completely taken over the sky. He frowned, looking up at Wade.

"Guess my sleeping schedule is all messed up now" Peter chewed on his lip absently, staring out the window for several minutes before finally tearing his gaze away, looking up to see that Wade was still looking at him. He noted that the man looked slightly worn, the slightest shade of purple showing along the mans eyelids.

"Have you slept at all?" Peter questioned. Wade shrugged, standing up and taking a seat by Peters feet.

"Not really. I wanted to be alert if you needed anything" Wade replied. Peter struggled into a sitting position, looking over at the tall man.

"You should sleep some. Really, I'll be fine!" Peter assured. Wade gave him a quizzical stare, seeming unconvinced and unwilling to leave.

"Really Wade, It's not like I can go anywhere" Peter gestured towards his foot weakly, giving Wade a thin smile. The man regarded him silently for several more minutes before standing, handing Peter the remote for the TV.

"Are you okay out here, or would you like to go back to your room?" Wade asked. 

"Here is fine" Peter replied, flipping the channel a few times before looking up and meeting Wades intense gaze. He gave him a half smile, and the man smiled back gently after a minute.

"Okay. Just call if you need me baby boy" Peter nodded as Wade left the living room. Several seconds later Peter heard a door closing gently. He sat still for what felt like hours, nearly holding his breath as he strained to listen. When he positive Wade must have been asleep, Peter slipped the blanket off of his lap and swung his feet down over the edge of the couch. He placed some weight on his uninjured foot first, before putting more weight onto his injured foot. He grit his teeth, but the pain wasn't nearly what it had been that morning. He slowly but surely began putting more and more weight on his injured foot as he stood to his full height. Peter was so focused on getting to his feet that he didn't notice the figure passing by the living room window. 

Once his feet were completely under him, Peter leaned forward, allowing some of his body to lean heavily against the wall. Using the wall, he slowly made his way out of the living room and towards the hall. He had just entered the hall when he heard what sounded like a door closing. Peter froze, straining his eyes to see if there was anyone in the hall with him. He waited for several minutes, breathing shallowly, before deciding that the noise was his mind playing tricks on him. He grabbed the wall again, biting his lip as he placed more weight on his injured foot and walked towards the kitchen. He finally came out into the brightly lit room and he smiled, taking a step towards the door when he was hit in the back of the head, hard. He fell forward with a sharp cry, and tried to twist around to see who his attacker was. He felt pressure on his back almost instantly, and an arm wrapped around his throat tightly. Peter reached up, scrabbling to grab the arms that were slowly strangling him. Tears began to leak out of the corner of his eyes. Black spots slowly began to form in Peters vision and he made a choked sound, hands flailing blindly behind him. He suddenly felt a face under his palm, and Peter curled his hand, raking his nails across the skin. Someone cursed, throwing Peter away from them. He hit the ground hard, stars appearing in his eyes. He flipped over quickly, eyes wild as he took in the figure of the large man above him.

"Who are you?" Peter asked, eyes wide with panic as he tried to pull himself backwards away from the imposing figure. The man reached up, gingerly touching the bleeding gash on his cheek before looking at Peter with disgust in his eyes. He advanced towards Peter, reaching down and pulling the smaller man up by the front of his shirt until they were nearly nose to nose.

"My son should have been the chosen one!" The man hissed, his eyes crazed as he stared at Peter with hate. Peter stared back with wide eyes, fear and confusion plainly written on his features.

"You are an outsider, you don't deserve such a title!" The man spat, shaking Peter roughly. The boy cried out, swinging his arms forward and punching the man with as much strength as he possessed. The man snarled, showing his teeth, before he backhanded Peter so hard the boy went flying, knocking his head on the edge of the kitchen table and hitting the ground hard. He felt blood fill the inside of his mouth and he grimaced, attempting to army crawl under the table. He felt large hands wrap around his ankles, and he shrieked as he was pulled backwards by his injured foot.

"Wa-" He tried to yell, but a large hand clapped over his mouth before hands were once more tightening around his throat, Peter choked as the man situated himself on top of the smaller boy, grinning down at him.

"I will kill you" the man whispered, slamming Peters head down onto the floor. The world spun in front of Peter and he felt queasy. Peter looked up at the man and tried to focus, but the world was going black alarmingly fast. Peter felt his eyelids dropping shut as his head was slammed onto the floor once more. He swore he could see Wade, hands raised high above his head. Peter heard a loud clang and the grip around his throat vanished, followed quickly by a loud thud near his ear. Peter gasped for air, his arms coming up to grasp at his bruised throat. Hands were suddenly on him, and Peter fought back uselessly before he realized that it was Wade. He reached out and grabbed the mans forearm, eyes wide with panic as he continued to spit up blood. Wade gently raised him to a sitting position, and Peter felt himself beginning to gag. He heaved slightly at the movement, and Wade flipped him so that he was leaning face down, just in time as the contents of Peters stomach decided to make an appearance. Peter threw up violently, heaving dryly for several minutes afterwards as tears crept to the corner of his eyes from the force of it. He coughed, letting his head droop forward against Wades shoulder as he realized he was still holding the mans forearm in a death grip. Wade had his other arm wrapped securely around Peter, seemingly the only thing keeping the small boy from collapsing forward into the mess he had just made. 

Peter coughed again, a thick, wet hack that scraped against his raw throat so harshly that he gagged and heaved again. There was nothing left for Peter to throw up, and he ended up dry heaving violently for several seconds. His body began to feel hot and sweat crept up along his brow. Peter leaned forward again, letting his forehead rest against Wades cool shoulder. His palm had grown sweaty, and his grip slowly slid from Wades forearm, causing him to pitch forward slightly. Wade wrapped his arms around his upper body gently, rubbing circles into his back.

"Hey..hey baby boy. Stay with me okay?" Peter groaned, wanting nothing more than to succumb to the black nothingness that kept threatening to overtake him. He felt Wade pull them into a standing position before he was hoisted up, and he groaned again, burying his head into the crook of Wades shoulder as the world swam before him.

"Lets get you cleaned up, okay?" Wade mumbled into Peters ear. Peter groaned, grabbing the back of Wades collar in his fist as the movement of Wade walking had another wave of nausea rushing over him. 

Wade gently set the smaller boy on the bathroom floor, leaning him slightly against the wall. Peters eyes were cracked slightly, a hint of hazel just barely peeking through the bruising lids. Wade leaned over the tub, turning the taps on and letting the water flow. He frowned down at the nearly comatose boy as he wet a small washcloth and kneeled next to the prone figure. He took Peters face in one hand, and began to wipe away the drying blood on the corners of Peters mouth as gently as he could. Peter groaned, eyes rolling back slightly.

"I know baby boy. I know" Wade sighed, wiping away as much blood as he could with the washcloth. He threw the spent towel up on the sink as he reached over to turn the taps off. The water sputtered to a stop and Wade leaned back over the small boy, snapping his fingers in front of Peter. The boy moaned, his eyes flicking to the side slightly under his eyelids.

"Stay with me baby boy" Wade ordered, gingerly pulling off the boys torn shirt and stripping him quickly of his pants. Wade scooped up the injured boy as carefully as he possibly could, lowering his battered body into the tub. Peter immediately cried out and began thrashing violently. He landed a solid punch squarely on Wades jaw before the man was able to pin his arms down, whispering gentle reassurances to the boy.

"Petey it's just me, it's okay. You have a fever from hitting your head so hard, I just need to get your temperature lowered" Wade explained, his jaw throbbing from the punch. Peter stilled in the water, his head lolling back against the side of the tub as the sliver of his eyes that were visible attempted to focus on Wade. The man forced a smile as he held the boy down in the frigid water. They stayed that way for several minutes before Peter whimpered, his hand trembling as he lifted it out of the water and grasped Wades arm shakily. Wade attempted to keep the tight smile on his face as he scrubbed the rest of the blood off of the small boy, who refused to release his arm. When he was done, he quickly drained the tub, pulling the limp body out of the tub and wrapping him in a large towel. He dried the boy off as best as he could with his one functional arm, as Peter still had a death grip on his other one. After he was dried, Wade dressed him in one of his own shirts, which practically swallowed the small boy, before lifting him up gently and carrying him down the hall to his room. He leaned down, placing Peters feverish form on the bed as gently as possibly. Wade attempted to straighten his body back up but stopped short when Peter whimpered, pulling weakly on Wades arm. Wade stilled, his heart beating rapidly as he took in Peters pleading features. He relaxed after a minute, reaching out to smooth down Peters unruly, curly hair.

"Okay baby boy. I'm not going anywhere" he promised, lowering his body onto the bed beside the boy. Wade stretched his long legs out, allowing Peter to practically lay on top of him. He let the boy get comfortable before he lifted his arm, wrapping it around the young boys torso.

"I'm not going anywhere, Petey" he promised, as he felt the boy slip slowly into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't forget to leave comments! They make the writing so much easier!


	4. Prologue to The Event

Wade woke with a start, his eyes flying open as he took in his surroundings. He was in his guest bedroom, and he sat up quickly as he remembered the events from the night before. A flash of movement caught his attention, and Wade glanced down, a heavy breath escaping him as he took in the struggling form of the boy next to him. Peter was jerking violently in his sleep, his arms flailing and his face scrunched in a pained scowl. Small whimpers were escaping him, and Wade frowned at the sad sound. He reached out his arm, laying a gentle hand on Peters shoulder and giving him a firm shake.

"Pete..Pete wake up. You're having a nightmare." Wade started, his voice becoming louder with each word. The boy below him didn't wake, his struggles becoming more violent.

"Pete!" Wade said louder, giving the boy a rough shake. The boys hazel eyes flew open as he cried out, tears pooled in the corner of his eyes. His thin arms came up, hands wrapping around Wades forearms. Wade kept his hands pressed firmly to Peters shoulders for several moments, allowing the boy to gain his bearings. Peter stared at Wade with wide, frightened eyes for several moments before releasing a shaky breath, his hands slowly uncurling from Wades arms. Wade released him, one of his hands finding its way up to Peters forehead, where he tsk'd slightly. 

"You still have a bit of a fever" Wade informed him. Peter just stared at him blankly, eliciting another frown from the man. 

"What's wrong?" Wade asked, pushing some of Peters curls out of his face. Peter closed his eyes at the gentle touch, leaning into the mans hand slightly.

"That man" he finally replied, looking up at Wade. "I-He tried to kill me." Wade nodded, looking down at him with those hauntingly blue eyes.

"Why?" Peter asked, trying to push himself into a sitting position and failing miserably. His body felt like he had been hit by a truck. Wade removed his hand from Peters forehead, reaching down to grasp Peter under his arms and pull him into a seated position. Peter gritted his teeth against the unmistakable feeling of the bruises lining his body, and looked up and Wade expectantly. 

"You aren't one of us." Wade finally sighed, looking at Peter sideways from where he sat. "A lot of people here have never been to the outside. They don't trust people like you." the man uttered. 

"But you brought ME here" Peter huffed out, raising his eyebrows at Wade in question. Wade nodded, looking down at his lap. 

"There are still a lot of people here who believe that the prophecy was made about a member of our sect. They don't understand why this ritual won't work on just anyone. They don't understand that we only have one chance to save ourselves." Wade turned his gaze to Peter, studying him in the dim morning light. Peter stared back, unsure how to respond. 

"It has to be you" Wade whispered, his hand reaching out to gently rest against Peter's cheek. "No matter what they think, it has to be you."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They fell into a sort of routine after that morning. Wade would help Peter hobble out to the kitchen, where they would make breakfast together. After eating and cleaning, Wade would help Peter to the bathroom. After the first few embarrassing baths, Peter insisted that he could wash himself, and Wade would leave him to it. Then the men would find something to do around the house. Usually Peter would curl up on the couch, watching one of three channels on Wades TV or rereading one of the three books the man owned, and Wade would sit the chair next to Peter, cleaning one of his what must be thousand guns, Peter gathered, as the man brought out two or three new guns every single day. After several weeks, Peter began to grow bored, and his foot started to heal enough that he could stand and walk short distances on his own.

"I want to go outside" he announced at breakfast one morning. Wade paused, fork of eggs frozen halfway to the mans mouth. He put the fork down, looking at Peter with his mouth open to object.

"Please, I can't stay in here forever, I'm going crazy!" Peter pleaded, turning his big doe eyes on the older man. "I can start a small garden or something!" Peter offered, biting his lip and looking down at his plate nervously. Wade was quiet for a long time, and nervous butterflied began to dance in Peters stomach as he wondered if he had upset the older man. 

"Alright" Wade finally responded, picking up his fork and resuming eating.

"Really!" Peter beamed, looking back up at Wade, who smiled gently back at him.

"Yeah kid. Sun would be good for you. We can go to the store after we finish eating to pick up some supplies" Peter nodded vigorously, scooping huge bites of egg into his mouth like a five year old on Christmas.

"I'm gonna get ready!" Peter told Wade, dropping his plate into the sink. Wade raised his eyebrow and Peter rolled his eyes, turning to wash his plate quickly as he grumbled under his breath. 

Peter was ready in record time, and stood pacing in the kitchen while he waited for Wade. After what felt like forever, the man finally appeared, and Peter stopped, looking at Wade expectantly.

"Well let' go, you know where the truck is!" Wade ushered Peter out the door, closing and locking the door behind them. Peter bounded down the stairs, bouncing lightly on his feet as he made his way to the truck. He stared out the window happily as Wade chattered on about the different kinds of plants they could get, asking if Peter had any preference. The boy shrugged, looking over at the man.

"I like strawberries' he mentioned, giving Wade a small smile. Wade nodded, returning his smile as he pulled the truck to a halt in a large gravel lot. Several haphazard buildings lay nestled against one another, and Peter took in the area with wide eyes. There were several other cars in the parking lot, one truck had three teen boys, maybe slightly older than Peter, loitering on the tailgate. The boys ceased their conversation as they noticed Peter in the passenger seat. Peter fidgeted nervously, tearing his eyes from the tight-lipped, steely gazes he was receiving. Wade got out of the truck, and Peter waited for the man to come around and open his door for him. 

"Stay close to me" Wade leaned in and whispered, offering Peter his hand. The boy took it gratefully, nodding as he allowed himself to be pulled from the truck. He did as told, staying close to Wades side as they enter the dingy store. Immediately, the conversations in the store cease, and Peter pressed closer to Wade as people turn hateful eyes on him. Wade takes him by the elbow, steering him past the people at the entrance and further into the depths of the store. Peter kept his eyes averted from any passerby, watching quietly as Wade loaded their cart with gardening supplies and seeds  
They finally made their way to the front of the store, which was still stiflingly silent. Peter kept his eyes down as Wade paid and steered him out of the store. Peter climbed back into the truck hastily, taking note of the three teens who were sauntering closer towards them. Wade paid them no attention, loading the gardening supplies into the back of the truck. Two of the teens rounded closer to the man, while one leaned on the hood of the truck, eyeing Peter through the dusty windshield with disdain. Peter swallowed, glancing at Wade in the rear view mirror. The man had straightened to his full height, towering over the two boys imposingly. 

"You boys need to get on home now" Wade called, crossing his arms and leaning his hip against the door of the truck. The boy closest to Wade barked out a laugh, taking another step forward.

"He doesn't belong here" the boy muttered, turning his narrowed eyes to glare at Peter through the window. Wade pushed off of the truck, taking a step towards the boy.

"I said you boys need to get on home now" Wade growled, planting his feet firmly between Peter and the two boys closest to him. 

"C'mon man" one of the boys hissed, turning and taking quick steps back towards the other truck. The boy closest to Wade stayed put for several moments, studying Wade with narrowed eyes. Wade held the boys gaze, his gaze hard and unwavering. The boy scoffed, kicking his toes in the dirt before spitting down by Wades feet.

"You better watch him" the boy warned, pointing at Peter as he turned and followed his other friend. Peter watched the boys retreating back with wary eyes, yelping and nearly jumping out of his skin when there was a loud bang by his head. The third boy coughed out a laugh, removing his palm from the window and flipping Peter the bird as he followed after his friends. Peter clutched at the seat nervously, his eyes wide with fear as he watched the boys start their truck and back out of the parking lot. He didn't even hear Wade enter the truck behind him until he felt a hand take his shoulder gently. 

"Are you sure it can only be me?" Peter mumbled, tearing his eyes away from the retreating truck to look up at Wade. "Why does everyone hate me here if you need me so much"

"You're the first person from the outside that most of these people have even seen" Wade sighed, removing his hand from Peter's shoulder and starting the truck. He put the truck into gear in one swift motion before pausing, eyes staring straight ahead through the windshield "They'll all see soon" Wade murmured, turning to flash Peter a smile as he began driving back towards the house. Peter frowned at Wade's lack of response, taking in the mans profile with curious eyes. He couldn't quite get a grasp on who Wade was. For the most part he seemed normal, caring even. It was hard for Peter to remember that he had been knocked unconscious and brought here against his will by this man. Then there were moments where Wade seemed completely different, almost like someone else had control of his thoughts. 

Peter pulled himself out of his thoughts as the truck rumbled to a stop outside of the house. He pulled open his door, rounding the back to help Wade pull all of his new gardening things out of the back. Wade hefted up big bags of soil and placed them haphazardly by the side of the house, giving Peter a sheepish grin.

“This where you want to put it?” the man questioned, pointing his thumb to the deposited bags of soil, Peter nodded, dropping the tools he was carrying next to Wade.

“I think it gets enough sunlight here, and the ground doesn’t look too hard” he responded, smiling back at Wade. The merc nodded, fishing the rest of the supplies out of the back of the truck.

“Let’s get started then, tell me what to do” 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Peter’s garden was progressing nicely. Wade had hovered incessantly at first, and after about the fourth day of the man getting in the way, Peter had demanded that the man give him some space to tend to his garden alone. Wade had argued at first, worried about safety, but after Peter convincing him to give the grounds a thorough searching, and promising that he would check in every half hour, the man had finally relented.

Peter was humming happily as he plucked at the weeds sprouting up around his strawberry patch. The sun was sweltering that day, but it made the hard work all the more meaningful to the boy. Peter grabbed up a handful of pesky dandelions before looking at his bucket and sighing at the fullness. He sat back slightly, taking a minute to wipe at the sweat beading on his forehead before hoisting himself to his feet with a grunt, grabbing up the bucket as he went. Dragging his feet slightly, Peter made his way around the corner of the house to where Wade kept a compost pile. He dumped the bucket of weeds unceremoniously, shaking the plastic bin to get all the plant remains out. After several violent shakes Peter stilled and cocked his head as he heard what sounded distinctly like a twig snapping. He turned quickly, eyes scanning the through the thick tress for any movement. He stayed still for several moments before relaxing, sighing as he ran a hand through his sweaty hair and shrugged the noise off as a bird. Peter bent over, grabbing up his bucket and heading back towards his garden to continue weeding. He had just turned the corner of the house when he was hit by something very solid in the back of the head, his vision going black before he could even call out for help.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Peter came to with a start, jerking upright and sucking in a huge greedy gulp of air. He frantically scanned his surroundings, noting with irritation that he was getting extremely tired of waking up in unfamiliar places. Peter wrapped a shaky arm around his throbbing torso, taking in the surroundings of the new strange room he was in. He had been deposited on a bare mattress which lay directly in the center of the otherwise bare room. The walls were a dank gray, and Peter scrunched up his nose at the mild smell of mildew. He must have been in a basement of sorts, he realized, looking up at the tiny windows that were almost up at the ceiling. 

 

Carefully, Peter scooted over to the side of the mattress, swinging his legs over the edge and slowly pushing himself upright. He held his arms out to balance himself as the room swayed precariously around him. He must've been hit really hard in the head. Peter padded over to the door, tugging uselessly at the locked handle. He cursed, wrapping his arms around himself and shivering slightly. He looked up at the window and felt his heart sink into his stomach. It was pitch dark outside, he had been out for hours. He could be miles and miles away from Wade's house for all he knew. 

Peter heard the sound of a key turning in the lock and he darted to the side quickly, flattening himself against the wall beside the door. Holding his breath, Peter watched as someone entered the room. Not waiting to see the persons reactions to an empty room, Peter darted under the mans arms that still held onto the door handle. Peter had only taken two steps when he ran into something solid. He stumbled back, eyes going wide as he took in the grinning face of one of the boys from the store. The boy pushed Peter back roughly, and he struggled vehemently as the boy behind him grabbed him by the hair, pulling him back into the room forcefully. He cried out as he was dragged violently back to the middle of the room, lashing out blindly as he was dumped unceremoniously onto the dingy mattress. 

"Guess our generous abode isn't enough for this little shit" one of the boys spat, staring down at Peter hatefully. Peter scooted back to the edge of the mattress, eyes darting wildly between the two boys.

"W-what do you want?" he asked in a weak voice, shrinking back as one of the boys stepped forward, taking Peter's chin roughly in one of his hands.

"You think he'll still be the savior when he's ruined?" the boy mused out loud, ignoring Peters question. Peter whimpered as he was jerked forward, struggling weakly as the boy who still held him in a vice like grip leaned forward with a dark smile, trailing his tongue along the boys quivering jawline. Peter choked on a sob as he realized what the boys planned to do to him, and he began struggling harder. He shrieked in fear as the boy nearest him forced him down flat on the bed, while the other boy leaned forward, forcibly stripping Peter of his shirt. Tears began to spill unchecked down Peters pale cheeks as he was held down onto the mattress while one of the boys positioned himself between the brunettes slim legs, jerking his pants down in one swift motion and forcing his legs apart. 

"Please! Stop, please! NO!" Peter begged, crying furiously as he watched through cloudy eyes as the boy between his legs freed himself from his pants, leaning down to position himself closer to Peter, preparing to violate the smaller boy completely unprepared.

Peter sucked in a huge breath as he steeled himself against the inevitable pain, prepared to scream with everything he had, when he felt the boy above him still. For a split second, nobody made a sound, and then Peters jaw was released as the boy near his head crumpled wordlessly to the ground. 

"Allow me the pleasure of ending you" a soft voice rumbled. Peter scampered back with a sob, relief washing over him as he recognized Wade's voice. He stumbled off the back of the mattress, cowering in the far corner of the room as he took in Wade's dangerous features. The boy who had been on top of him was still on top of the mattress, his body frozen completely still as blood dripped from his neck and ran down his arm. Peter gulped at the deadly looking sword that Wade was holding steadily against the boys neck. The room was stiflingly quiet, and Peter held his breath, watching with wide, wet eyes. The boy on the mattress finally jerked slightly, as if to get away from the blade pressing into his neck, and it seemed to be what Wade was waiting for. Without a word, Wade slid the blade back, slicing the boys jugular clean open. 

Peter cried out, eyes wide in fear as he slid down the cold cement wall. Tears were once again flowing freely down his face as he watched the boy slump onto the dirty mattress, blood gushing out into one huge stain and turning everything crimson. 

"Baby boy" Peter flinched violently at the voice that registered right next to him, finding himself unable to take his eyes off of the boys still form.

"Peter" he heard again, before he felt his face being taken between two palms. He felt his face being turned, and finally tore his eyes away from the still body, looking up at the man in front of him. Wade stared at him worriedly, running a soothing finger up and down his jawline. Peter felt a low whine escape him, throwing himself toward the man as the full realization of what had almost happened hit him. Wade wrapped him in strong arms, shushing him as loud sobs tore from his body, wracking his lithe frame. 

"Shh baby boy, I got you" he murmured, resting one hand on the back of Peters head, fingers tangling in his unruly curls. Peter sobbed brokenly, burying his face into the crook of Wade's neck and curling weak hands into the mans jacket. Peter had no idea how long they sat there for, his agonized cries filling the bleak room as Wade ran a comforting hand in circles on his back. It felt like ages had passed when Peters breath finally hitched slightly, the cries turning into quiet snuffles. Wade wrapped a firm arm around Peters waist, his hand dropping from the boys hair to settle underneath his arm.

"C'mon Petey" he murmured, hoisting the boy to his feet. Peter allowed the man to lead him soundlessly, not commenting when the man kept his face hidden from the bodies that now decorated the room. They made their way silently up a dimly lit stairwell and out into the open night. Peter took in a deep breath, keeping his hands fisted in Wade’s jacket as the man led him to where his truck was parked. He allowed Wade to hoist him up into the passenger seat, watching numbly as the man buckled him in and went around to the driver’s side. 

The drive back to Wades seemed to take forever. Peter found himself wishing that he knew the area around him better so he could have some idea of where he was, every section of forest they passed looked like that last one. Finally, the car began to slow, and Wade turned the truck off of the main road and onto the little dirt drive that led to his house. Peter sighed in relief to be back somewhere safe, jumping out as soon as the truck rumbled to a stop. Wade got out quickly and followed him, protectively holding Peters arm as he stumbled slightly going up the steps. 

Peter wordlessly walked past Wade as the man held the door open for him, shrugging off the mans coat as he shuffled down the darkened hall and straight into Wade’s room. The man followed close behind him, pausing at the door as Peter pulled the covers on the mans bed back, crawling into the bed and burrowing under the thick blankets. Wade watched Peter silently for several moments, as if debating the boys intentions. When Peter didn’t speak up, he dimmed the lights, kicking off his shoes and walking around to the other side of the bed, sliding under the covers next to the boy. Peter immediately latched onto the mans side, and Wade tensed slightly, glancing down at the brown curls that spilled onto his shirt. Slowly, Wade wrapped his arm around the younger boys body, relaxing as the boys breaths evened out into the steady rhythm of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please Please don't forget to comment! It seriously gives me the motivation to keep writing!
> 
> I am always looking for prompts/things you want to see in chapters/suggestions, so feel free to comment these as well.
> 
> ~this is not beta read. If you are interested in beta reading for me, please send me a message!~


	5. Author Note

Hey guys- sorry to get everyone all excited over an update~ 

I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone for all the messages and comments! 

This story WILL be updated. I'm in my last semester of University right now, and I work a full time job and have literally no free time, but I graduate in 33 days! I just wanted to let everyone know that an update IS coming, and updates will become regular once I finish school.   
That being said, I have also been working in my limited spare time on another spideypool fic that just wouldn't get out of my head, so keep an eye out for that in the future! 

Again, thank you guys so so much for all your comments and support!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you think this story has potential! Also please feel free to bring any spelling/grammatical or other writing errors to my attention. 
> 
> Here is a link to a great break down of the meaning of 'Alpha' from Periphery's Juggernaut 
> 
> http://iprobablyhateyourband.com/articles/peripherys-juggernaut-a-guided-tour-part-i-alpha/


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